Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Friends! The rain here has stopped, the birds are singing and it is sunny, and I dare say warm! After the frost warning, and freeze, last night I am so thankful for a warm, sunny day. What are you thankful for?
Share your poetry here, giving thanks or offering prayer, it is open to all faith poetry!
Bright blessings!

Monday, May 14, 2012

10 Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, “Go wash seven times in the Jordan and your flesh will be restored and you will be clean.”

and what did he do?

13 But his servants approached and said to him, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more should you do it when he tells you, ‘Wash and be clean’?” 14 So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the command of the man of God. Then his skin was restored and became like the skin of a small boy, and he was clean.

Do you see the difference? Maybe take a moment and read the passages in between these quoted.

Naaman was an important man. He had expectations of how people would act around him. He even had expectations of God's actions in healing him. He wanted a holy show! He didn't want a quiet, prosaic healing. He didn't want a BATH! He wanted something people could watch and see and talk about.

Not because he longed to glorify God but because he expected it. When Elisha gave him his orders, WASH in the Jordan seven times he grew angry.

He pouted.

A spoiled child.

His loyal followers, who knew the good behind the ego, encouraged him to at least try it. What did he have to lose but some dirt?

God is so good! He chose to heal this man, which did glorify Him because even in his half-hearted and deliberate choice not to follow the orders of Elisha he was still healed.

God is good. So very good.

Elisha said, wash.

Naaman decided, with sarcasm or disbelief, to dip.

God still healed him. God was faithful to Elisha. God was good to Naaman. God was glorified to those who knew Naaman. A servant girl's faith brought the husband of her mistress to Elisha, and God was faithful.

What about you? How many times has God, through the Holy Spirit, told you to wash in an area where you only dipped? Was He still faithful even when our own faith wavered?

Naaman probably thought it was 'common' or 'poor' to be seen actually scrubbing down and washing in the river. So instead, pride and ego intact, he dipped instead. Not whole heartedly. Not even half-heartedly. But there was that grain of sand of faith. And God honoured that faith. Smaller than a mustard seed. Smaller than a spark.

God knew Naaman's heart, and the hearts of his people. God showed through him that he does not require a big show to provide healing, a miracle. He could do it when He wanted, regardless of the size of our faith.

When God says, Help that person!We wait to see what is needed.

When God says, encourage her!We wait to see how.

When God says, Step out in faith!We look hard to see where the path goes.

God is still faithful, even when we are dipping instead of getting all the way in the water!

The other thing about dipping, it doesn't get down past the surface layers. Washing does. It gets down to the skin. It requires us to get the clothes off and scrub. Dipping can be done with clothes or without.

It is the same with spiritual dipping and spiritual washing. One touches the surface, one goes deeper. God, however, can move in our lives regardless of our choice!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Luke 21:1-3, "As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others."

God asks us to give. Give from the abundance He gives us right now. He doesn't want us to wait for another day, He doesn't want us to wait for what the world would call abundance. He calls for us to be like that widow in the right now.

Can you imagine: losing one of the two jobs your house holds, having to budget tighter and feeling like you are doing okay. That God has blessed you. Then to get a small windfall. Slotted for the savings account. Slotted for the grocery budget.

Can you imagine: meeting someone who has an aching need. A heart breaking choice to make. And you hear Jesus reading Luke 21:1-3. And you know He is asking you not to share what you EARNED but what He BLESSED you with.

Can you imagine: letting someone avoid the pawn shop and still get groceries? Hearing their story and seeing Jesus shine in their faces. To feel Jesus in your heart in a real way. In the dirty, messy, fixing up the ruins way.

The widow has more story than these lines tell us.

She gave from her need, not her abundance. God had provided her with what she needed, and she still gave back. I would bet you she shared her food too. She helped others. Her pennies at the temple were in contrast to the gold pouring from rich fingers but it is her life we can treasure!

No spouse, no word of family to care for her. Possibly on the margin of the marginalized and yet she gave from her need.

We have what we have because of the Grace of God. Our stewardship of it should be dictated by that same grace.

Luke 6:38 "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

To be sure, we are not going to know when or how but we can trust that God will keep this promise. You can count on it.

Where is your area of need? Where do you feel least abundant? Give from there! If it is time, give some. If it is money, give some. The widow outdid the richest people there with her pennies. It is not the amount but the heart. It is not the minutes or hours but the heart. It is not the face value but the heart.

When you see a situation and think, "Someone should do something!" pause a moment. Perhaps God already has sent someone, perhaps that someone is you!

Jesus gave to us from the cross in a way we can never, ever, ever repay. And He didn't do it cheaply. He did not skimp on time, words, tears or blood. He saved us when He didn't have to and when we weren't even close to worthy. He wore all our sins and went to battle with their weight upon His body. He won for us. Forever!

Give from your now. From your need, your shortage. You have ten minutes to spare, share five or three. You have a grocery budget, get something for the food bank. Are you driving past someone who needs a ride? Do you know someone who needs prayer or a friend or some intentional encouragement? Pray, and if the Holy Spirit moves you, follow that lead and move! You will not believe the blessings you'll find just a few steps away!